Hi, my name is Andy Tysoe and I’m a dementia nurse specialist, based at the Countess of Chester Hospital. Part of my role is to help people affected by dementia through the challenge of an acute hospital stay and also to deliver dementia awareness sessions to the staff who work there.

I got involved in dementia care because I wanted to make a difference and stand up for people who can’t stand up for themselves. Over 840 000 people are living with dementia, affecting over 22 million people in the UK, either as a family member, neighbour or friend. One in three people over 65 will die with dementia and the average age of a patient in an acute hospital is 75. So it’s a no-brainer for me - all staff need to know about dementia.